Friday, May 16, 2008

42 Miles on a Poetry Friday

Until this yearI was average heighthad clear skinand didn't need glassesto see the blackboard.

Everythingwas easieruntil this year.

I have really gotten into the free verse novels this year. Home of the Brave, Summerhouse Time, and Where I Live, have been some of my favorites. 42 Miles by Tracie Vaughn Zimmer is no exception. Quite a bit heavier then the others, it will appeal to an older audience, but I couldn't help thinking of our 5th graders as they move to middle school. The transition years are hard enough on kids, but when JoEllen has to deal with her parents living in two completely different worlds, only 42 miles apart, her transition to teen is made even harder. The first part of the book is filled with her 12 year old angst of living two lives between Cincinnati with her mom and the farm life with her dad. When a teacher assigns an autobiography, and JoEllen realizes she doesn't know who she is. Is she Ellen from the city, or Joey from the farm. She is also missing much of her personal history since her parents have been divorced since her birth. The assignment forces JoEllen to look at her life and take some control when she turns 13. The poetry turns hopeful as she brings her two worlds together.